Latest news with #YaheetechDecorativeLitterBoxEnclosure
North Wales Live
23-04-2025
- North Wales Live
I tried the cat Litter-Robot 4 to see if it's really a 'game-changer' for managing smelly litter
I adore having a cat. Theo is my best friend in the entire world - he's fluffy, he screams in my ear to wake me up, plus every morning and night, he sits on my chest and purrs in bed. I also scream at people to eat - we're soul mates. But with great love must also come great responsibility and that means scooping up poo. And vacuum cleaning the ten tonnes of litter he has kicked all over my flat. And cleaning out the clumped-together litter... anyone who has owned a cat knows the pain of this and the stench. The essence of modern life is finding solutions to these kinds of problems. Enter Whisker's Litter-Robot 4 (£749), a game-changer in the world of cat litter that provides fresh litter for your cat while trapping the odour. This automatic cat litter machine promises to put an end to the scooping ordeal forever, thanks to its self-cleaning feature. For those looking for more affordable options, the PetSafe ScoopFree Covered Self-Cleaning Litter Box from Amazon for £179.99 could be a viable alternative, reports My London. Although it claims to remove odours, it has a lower user-rating at 3.9 out of 5,448 ratings. Another option is the Yaheetech Decorative Litter Box Enclosure for £49.99 from B&Q. While it isn't automatic and doesn't offer the odour-trap feature, it serves as a decent low-tech solution. I decided to give Whisker's Litter-Robot 4 a whirl, hoping it would put an end to my daily routine of vacuuming litter off the floor. Here are my thoughts: Litter-Robot 4: The Setup With the promised features, I expected I'd need a Master's Degree to set it up. Thankfully, it was pretty straightforward. On the scale of 'my mum could do it without getting me round' to 'Einstein would struggle with this', it definitely falls on the 'she would need a very brief WhatsApp conversation to sort it out'. The Litter-Robot 4 arrives fully assembled in a large box. All that's required is to remove the tape, decide if you want the litter guard and plug it in. It's robust but quite sizeable, so ensure you have ample space for it. It's roughly the same width as a standard litter tray (56cm), but twice as tall (75cm) and weighs 10.4kg without litter. There's a clear line indicating where to fill the litter - fine, non-clumping litter works best. To help your cat adjust, I'd suggest using the same litter in your old litter box for a week before making the switch. Once the Litter Robot is assembled, simply follow the instructions in the booklet to download the app. The App and Functionality This is where the excitement kicks in. After a simple setup process, you can control the entire Litter-Robot 4 via the app. Just bear in mind that it defaults to American dates and measurements, which can be a bit annoying. But once you've got past that, you're good to go. The app provides information on how full the litter is, the amount of waste present and even allows you to set a cleaning cycle from your phone. The real game-changer is that the app lets you monitor your cat's health. While it can't replace a vet visit when something seems off, getting an early warning that something could be wrong really helps put your mind at ease. During my fortnight with the Litter-Robot 4, I had no issues whatsoever with the app. It performed as expected and even provided a nearly completely accurate reading of his weight. Once the Litter-Robot was set up functionally, the next hurdle was getting your cats to adjust. Theo, being a scaredy cat and also 14 years old, posed a particular challenge. Thankfully, Whisker provides a useful guide on how to acclimate your kitty to their new large toilet. Following the guide, I left the litter next to his usual one for a week without cleaning the old one. Then, after about a week, I removed the old one and held my breath. Fortunately, we didn't have any accidents on the floor. Would I recommend the Litter-Robot 4? Absolutely. One thing to keep in mind: it is an investment. What you're paying for is daily convenience. If you have multiple cats, they can all use the same one too, which makes the cost more manageable overall. However, taking into account the top-quality functionality alone, the lack of odour and the convenience of not having to scoop poo every day, I'm pleased to say it justifies its price tag.
Daily Mirror
22-04-2025
- Daily Mirror
'I tried Whisker's Litter-Robot 4 to see if it could end the daily cat litter nightmare for good'
The Litter-Robot 4 is a self-cleaning automatic cat litter tray that promises to do the scooping for you. But is it worth the £749 price tag? I tried it out with my cat Theo to see My cat, Theo, is my best mate in the whole wide world. He's fluffy, has a knack for waking me up with ear-splitting yowls, and every morning and night, he curls up on my chest and purrs away contentedly in bed. We both have a habit of yelling at people to eat - we're practically two peas in a pod. But as they say, with great love comes great responsibility - and the less glamorous side of pet ownership: scooping up poo. Any cat owner can attest to the sheer agony of cleaning out clumped-together litter and its accompanying stench. Not to mention vacuuming up the mountain of litter he scatters all over my flat. Thankfully, the modern world has been constructed to help us find solutions to these kinds of problems, which led me to discover Whisker's Litter-Robot 4 (£749). This automatic cat litter box claims to put an end to the poop-scooping nightmare once and for all with its self-cleaning feature, while providing fresh litter for your cat and trapping the odour, reports MyLondon. For those looking for more budget-friendly options, there's the PetSafe ScoopFree Covered Self-Cleaning Litter Box available on Amazon for £169.56 (down from £269.99). While it does offer the odour-removal feature, it has a slightly lower user-rating at 3.9 out of 5,448 ratings. Alternatively, the Yaheetech Decorative Litter Box Enclosure is priced at £49.39 from B&Q. Although it's not automatic (meaning you'll still have to do most of the dirty work yourself) and doesn't come with the odour-trap feature, it's a decent low-tech solution. I put Whisker's Litter-Robot 4 to the test to see if it could finally liberate me from the daily chore of vacuuming up litter off the floor. Here's what I thought: Litter-Robot 4: Setting Up Given the advertised features, I fully anticipated needing a Master's Degree to get it up and running. To my relief, it was quite simple. On a scale of 'my mum could do it without calling me for help' to 'Einstein would have a hard time with this', it definitely falls into the 'she'd need a quick WhatsApp chat to figure it out' category. The Litter-Robot 4 arrives in a massive box as it comes pre-assembled. Simply remove the tape, decide if you want the small litter guard, and plug it in. It appears robust, but one potential drawback is its size. While it's roughly the same width as my regular litter tray (56cm), it's about twice as tall (75cm), so ensure you have an appropriate place for it. It also weighs 10.4kg without litter, equivalent to about two male cats. When it comes to filling it with litter, there's an unmistakable line to reach - although you do need fine, non-clumping litter for optimal performance. To help your cat adjust to the new box, I'd recommend keeping the new litter in your original litter box for a week prior. Once the Litter Robot is assembled, simply follow the instructions in the booklet which involve downloading the app. The app and functionality This is where things get interesting. After a straightforward setup process on the app, you can virtually control the entire Litter-Robot 4 via your app. One thing to note is that it defaults to American dates and measurements, which can be slightly irritating. But once you've navigated past that, you're onto a winner. The app provides information on the litter's fullness, the amount of waste, and even allows you to schedule a cleaning cycle from your phone. The real game-changer is the app's ability to monitor your cat's health. While it doesn't replace a vet visit when something seems amiss, having an early warning system can be reassuring. During my fortnight with the Litter-Robot 4, I encountered no issues with the app. It performed as expected, providing near-perfect readings of his weight. Once the Litter-Robot was set up, the next hurdle was getting my cats to adapt. Theo, being a timid 14 year old, posed a challenge. Fortunately, Whisker offers a useful guide on how to familiarise your feline with their new oversized toilet. Following the instructions, I placed the litter next to his regular one for a week without cleaning the old one. After about a week, I removed the old one and crossed my fingers. Thankfully, we avoided any floor mishaps. Would I recommend the Litter-Robot 4? Absolutely. Although the Litter-Robot 4 is certainly an investment. You're paying for daily convenience. If you have multiple cats, they can all use the same unit, making the cost more bearable. Given its top-notch functionality, absence of odour, and the freedom from daily poop-scooping duties, I'm pleased to say it's certainly worth the price tag.
